Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan has claimed that US President George Bush's administration is planning a military operation in the Pakistani tribal areas before the forthcoming US presidential elections. He expressed these views while addressing a press conference here on Wednesday.
He advised the government to refrain from becoming a part of the US plan. He based his claim on the recent reports published in the press, which warned that Taliban would take-over Peshawar. He also quoted Adviser to Prime Minister on Interior Rehman Malik's statement that the government was preparing an operation against such Taliban threats. Hence, he saw Rehman Malik's statement as a part of the US action plan.
He asked the government to refrain from any action that would lead to a break-up in negotiations. It should be realised that the tribal conflict could never be solved through war. To a question, he said there were around 1 million armed men in the tribal areas and it was not possible for the army to successfully engage with them in armed warfare.
He expressed his concern over the adoption of the Finance Bill 2008 by the Parliament, which also increased the number of Supreme Court judges to 29. He was of the view that the government has rewarded the PCO judges for their acts by retaining them while punished those who had refused to take oath under PCO.
"The intentions are clear, through such act the government wants to indemnify President Pervez Musharraf's acts and also to protect the controversial National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO)," he added.
He observed that by enhancing the number of Supreme Court judges, Pakistan Supreme Court will become the largest in the world and this would help in making the judiciary independent. In the recent surveys of Gallup and Terror Free Society, 84 percent and 93 percent of Pakistanis, respectively, voted for restoration of judiciary to pre November 3 position, he added. The PTI chief advised the government to restore the deposed judges through a resolution and then let them decide the fate of President Musharraf.
Imran told the media men that All Parties Democratic Movement (APDM) does not approve of the passing of the Finance Bill and also the government has acted unconstitutionally by adding the judges' clause in the Bill. He said the APDM meeting would be convened on the matter, after Pakistan Bar Council's meeting, in which it would devise future strategy.